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Sega AM2
| founder = Yu Suzuki | location_city = Tokyo | location_country = Japan | key_people = | products = See list of games | parent = Sega Games Co., Ltd. }} , better known as , is the oldest video game development team within the Japanese multinational video game developer Sega. They are Sega's second development division for arcade software. Several games produced by Sega-AM2 have influenced and innovated the video gaming industry from a technical and developmental perspective. History In the earliest days of research and development at Sega, the most standout products were taikan arcades, which is translated from Japanese as "body sensation", and refers to large cabinet set-ups with more than button and joysticks. Sega popularized the term and innovated this design through games such as Hang-On, OutRun, Space Harrier, and After Burner and the more elaborate set-up, the R-360. All the aforementioned games were created by the second arcade department at Sega which started to stand out relatively quickly. From 1990 onwards the game development groups at Sega became their own divisions. Development teams became bigger and many of the planners, designers and programmers of the small teams of before, became producers and managers of their own teams and departments. Thus Amusement Machine Research and Development Division No. 2 (AM2), was created. AM2 was headed by Yu Suzuki and Toshihiro Nagoshi. ''Daytona USA'' was the first game using the palmtree AM2 logo, signaturing the department for being special among all the R&D Departments among Sega. In 2000 all of Sega's in-house Consumer (CS) and Amusement Machine (AM) R&D departments were separated from the main company and established on 9 semi-autonomous subsidiaries, with each subsidiary getting an elected president as a studio head. However, for more financial stability, Sega began consolidating its studios into five main ones in 2003 (Sega Wow, Sega AM2, Hitmaker, Amusement Vision, Smilebit, Sonic Team), and merged them back into a uniform R&D structure in 2004. SEGA-AM2 was established as an independent studio but has held its name, and features the palm tree logo prominently. It was headed by Hiroshi Kataoka, Yu Suzuki and Makoto Osaki. After the integration back into Sega, the studios lineage as the second arcade software R&D division continues. It is now headed by Hiroshi Kataoka and Makoto Osaki. As creators of famous franchises such as Virtua Fighter, Outrun and Daytona USA, AM2 supervises the implementation in guest appearances such as in Dead or Alive 5 and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. List of games Arcade * Hang-On (1985) * Space Harrier (1985) * OutRun (1986) * After Burner (1987) * Super Hang-On (1987) * Dynamite Dux (1988) * Power Drift (1988) * Turbo OutRun (1989) * G-LOC: Air Battle (1990) * GP Rider (1990) * F1 Exhaust Note (1991) * Rad Mobile (1991) * Strike Fighter (1991) * ''Soreike Kokology (1992) * Virtua Racing (1992) * Arabian Fight (1993) * Burning Rival (1993) * ''Daytona USA (1993) * Virtua Fighter (1993) * Desert Tank (1994) * Virtua Cop (1994) * Virtua Fighter 2 (1994) * Virtua Striker (1994) * Fighting Vipers (1995) * Virtua Cop 2 (1995) * Scud Race (1996) * Sonic the Fighters (1996) * Virtua Fighter 3 (1996) * Virtua Fighter Kids (1996) * All Japan Pro-Wrestling Featuring Virtua (1997) * Virtua Striker 2 (1997) * Daytona USA 2 (1998) * Fighting Vipers 2 (1998) * 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker (1999) * F355 Challenge (1999) * Outtrigger (1999) * Beach Spikers (2001) * Virtua Fighter 4 (2001) * Sega Network Taisen Mahjong MJ (2002) * The King of Route 66 (2002) * OutRun 2 (2003) * Virtua Cop 3 (2003) * Ghost Squad (2004) * Sega Golf Club (2004) * Quest of D (2004) * After Burner Climax (2006) * Virtua Fighter 5 (2006) *''Rhythm Tengoku'' (2007) * R-Tuned : Ultimate Street Racing (2008) * Border Break (2009) * Sega Card Gen MLB (2009) * Shining Force Cross (2009) * Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Arcade (2010) * Kancollle Arcade (2016) * Fate/Grand Order Arcade (2018) * Soul Reverse (2018) Mega Drive * Sword of Vermilion (1989) * Rent-A-Hero (1991) * Virtua Racing (1994) Sega Saturn * Virtua Cop (1994) * Virtua Fighter 2 (1994) * Virtua Cop 2 (1995) * Fighters Megamix (1996) * Fighting Vipers (1996) * Virtua Fighter CG Portrait (1996) * Virtua Fighter Kids (1996) * Digital Dance Mix Vol.1 Namie Amuro (1997) Dreamcast * Virtua Fighter 3 (1998) * Shenmue (1999) * 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker (2000) * Ferrari F355 Challenge (2000) * Fighting Vipers 2 (2001) * Outtrigger (2001) * Shenmue II (2001) Xbox *''Shenmue II'' (2003) GameCube *''18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker'' (2002) *''Beach Spikers'' (2002) *''Virtua Quest'' (2004) PlayStation 2 *''18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker'' (2001) *''Ferrari F355 Challenge'' (2002) *''Virtua Cop: Elite Edition'' (2002) *''Virtua Fighter 4'' (2002) *''The King of Route 66'' (2003) *''Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution'' (2003) *''The Super Dimension Fortress Macross'' (2003) *''Virtua Quest'' (2004) Xbox 360 *''Virtua Fighter 5'' (2006) *''Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram'' (2009) *''After Burner Climax'' (2010) *''Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Force'' (2010) *''Daytona USA'' (2012) *''Fighting Vipers'' (2012) *''Sonic the Fighters'' (2012) *''Virtua Fighter 2'' (2012) *''Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown'' (2012) *''Virtual On: Cyber Troopers'' (2013) *''Virtua Striker'' (2013) PlayStation 3 *''Sega Golf Club'' (2006) *''Virtua Fighter 5'' (2006) *''After Burner Climax'' (2010) *''Hatsune Miku Project DIVA: Dreamy Theatre'' (2010) *''Hatsune Miku Project DIVA: Dreamy Theatre 2nd'' (2011) *''Daytona USA'' (2012) *''Fighting Vipers'' (2012) *''Sonic the Fighters'' (2012) *''Virtua Fighter 2'' (2012) *''Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown'' (2012) *''Dead or Alive 5'' (2012) *''Virtual On: Cyber Troopers'' (2013) *''Virtua Striker'' (2013) Nintendo 3DS *''Hatsune Miku and Future Stars: Project Mirai'' (2012) *''Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai 2'' (2013) PlayStation 4 *''Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Arcade Future Tone'' (2016) *''Border Break'' (2018) iOS/Android *''Sega Network Taisen Mahjong MJ'' (2013) *''Soul Reverse Zero'' (2017) References External links *Official website (archive) AM2 Category:Video game development companies Category:Video game companies of Japan Category:Video game companies established in 1985 Category:1985 establishments in Japan